The Oscar-winning actress admitted she is "obsessed" with the US reality show presented by Tyra Banks during an interview about her role in the stage play The Audience.

She told BBC Breakfast: "I'd been watching America's Top Model which I'm obsessed by...this girl had her pink hair and I noticed because it came out really quickly so there she is with really pink hair and then five days later it's all gone so I thought that would be cool, I might have a go at that".

Dame Helen, who plays the Queen once again - having previously played the monarch in Stephen Frears' 2006 film - had previously insisted she would not take on the role again.

"I didn't want to become the actress who plays the Queen if you know what I mean, I don't think that's very nice for me and it's not very nice for the Queen," said the 67-year-old.

But she added that after meeting the cast for the play, which runs in the West End until June, she knew she would have been "an idiot" to turn the job down.